31 July

Training Frieda, cont. Dog on the path

by Jon Katz
Training Frieda. Dog on the path

July 31, 2010 – Frieda and I have been working together for a year or so now, and I am just beginning to grasp what a working dog she is. I looked up in the woods today while walking with Maria and the dogs and I saw a patch of light shooting through the deep woods. I said “Frieda, get up there and sit in the light,” knowing she does not know those words. Yet she ran up and sat in the light and in her most regal Frieda-esque post.

I know that Frieda did not understand my command, yet I also knew she grasped what I wanted, as we have taken many photos together. And she is a bright and intuitive dog. This is the mystical, even spiritual part of training a dog for me. The end result of daily calming and obedience training and work – lies, sit down, stays – quiet time together is an awesome ability to communicate. This is the core of training, a language with which to really communicate with the dog.

This requires that you understand the true nature of the dog, at least for me – Frieda is an animal, not a renegade child. She understands some things, needs clear and consistent direction. She fails, she succeeds. When she fails, we just do it again. And again. And again. Until she succeeds and can be rewarded. I respect her instincts and her identity as an animal. She is not my child. She does not think in human language. She can read my emotions but understands little about me or my life, except for what I show her and communicate to her. This training is not about obedience. It is the most sacred part of having a dog, the mystical space in which we meet and communicate with one another. Frieda has been trained a bit every day for nearly two years. It will never stop.

She is learning the one things dogs almost never know how to, but which is essential to their living with us: to do nothing.

31 July

Sweet time with the Fatzingers

by Jon Katz
Lenore, Sam, Isaac

Had one of those sweet summer evenings with friends – Suzy, Joe, Sam and Isaac Fatzinger – at the Dorset, Vt., RV Park. Joe and Suzy brought big fat lobsters fresh from Maine, and we sat out by their RV and talked. Sam and Isaac dragged their bikes up the hill and Lenore tagged along and chased about a million baseballs. She is tireless and can go anywhere.

It was a warm and very sweet time. Walks, talks, great food. We brought a fresh blueberry pie from Gardenworks, and I bought a painted good luck stone from Sam and Maria bought one from Isaac. Lucky to have friends like that.

It was interesting to see all the different kinds of RV’s, including the snazzy one’s in town for the horse show. Come to think of it, Saratoga is up and running. Got to go put a few dollars down on the ponies.

Dinner at the Dorset RV Park
31 July

Training Frieda (3)

by Jon Katz
Training Frieda

Frieda was a handful, a mix of two intense working dogs – German Shepherd and Rottweiler. Plus she had been in the wild for awhile, and I suspect before that, was a guard dog of some kind. She is fiercely protective of doors, fences and other boundaries. She had no formal training of other gun, and was wary of men.

It was nearly a year before I could touch her or put a leash on her. I used food and positive reinforcement – voice and smiles – but asked nothing of her. Once we had bonded a bit, I asked her to lie and stay, which she did with enthusiasm. I saw she loved to work so we started going out together – take photos, walk in the woods, chase sticks. I don’t allow any playing in the house. It’s a residence and workplace, and the dogs get enough exercise. Too much play – people love it when dogs play but it isn’t always good for the dogs, as it cranks them up and brings up prey drive, something you don’t want to do with Frieda – can make dogs crazy, and can turn dogs like Labs into obnoxious pests.

I don’t give dogs any food inside the house that doesn’t come from a bowl. Ever. No wrestling, being noisy, running around inside. Whenever we walk, even the four of us, we do “no street” training, and some lie downs, stays and sits. For a dog like Frieda, “lie down” is essential. Not only is it a position that is the least aggressive for dominant dogs, but it is a submissive position which eventually teaches her to relax – she isn’t in charge, I am, something a dog like Frieda really needs to learn in a positive way. Getting her to “lie down” with some beef jerky as a reward was effective in getting her to calm down, submit and ease her vigilance around the other dogs.

But I have learned to  be careful about play. It is – like so many other things – something that makes humans feel good but can bring out the worst instincts in some dogs of overdone. I do not go to dog play groups, for all kinds of reasons. Just me.

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P.S. The seats may all be gone, but Frieda and I (and Maria, who had much to do with Frieda then and now) will be at the Red Fox Bookstore at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 18 to talk about Frieda, dog training, and dog training books. Training books will be sold and questions are welcome. If you are interested, call Red Fox: 518 793-5352. Not sure if there are any spots left. I’m writing these columns because people were curious about the topic, especially those who can’t come.

31 July

New quilt: Full Moon Fiber Art

by Jon Katz
From the Studio Barn and Maria

I walked by the Studio Barn and saw this new quilt, Maria’s latest, hanging from the back of the barn. I am always surprised by what comes out of that Studio Barn, a creative place for Maria and an inspiration for me. I never paid much attention to quilts – or anything else for that matter – but I especially love this quilt, made of discarded fabrics, as are all of Maria’s quilts. fullmoonfiberart.com. Maria’s potholders, cell and eyeglass cases and fabric art is now being sold at the Redux gallery in Dorset, Vt., along with my signed notecards.

31 July

Training (2). Dogs as martyrs

by Jon Katz

Rose at work

To train a dog, you have to get your head straight. I see dogs as wondrous animals. I want to calm them, ground them, train them. Many people love the story of the grieving dog, the one who loves his or her human so much they literally pine a way if they die or leave. I don’t like that story. Nor do I believe it is typical or common.

I want my dogs to be grounded adaptable, secure and socialized. If I die, I don’t want them to starve to death missing me. I don’t see the appealing part of that story, which is to me, largely myth. Millions of dogs are rehomed and rescued and otherwise separated from their people, and very few of them starve to death in mourning and grief, thankfully. When a dog pines, we don’t really know why. They could be confused, dysfunctional, or just terrified.

If I die, my wish for my dogs is that they move on, and be happy with Maria or somebody else. If they can’t do that, then I will have failed as a trainer, and in many ways, as a human being. To wish martyrdom for my dogs, so that I can say they really loved me seems selfish and not at all about them.

This is important when it comes to training. Because it is a businesslike thing which asks a lot of the human: that we be calm, focused, businesslike, consistent. I begin my training with food, and then back off of that, turning to attention, work and what I call calming training – 15 to 20 minutes of lie downs, sits, stays in the morning, then again at night, every day of the dog’s life if I can find the time. This is part of communicating. I choose play spots carefully – no playing in the house. I have a lot of quiet time. Sitting together while I read, write, sit out in the pasture. Socializing is critical. Young dogs need a lot of time in different situations.

I’ll get into more details later, but the first leg for me is to be focused in how I view my dogs, much as I love them. They are animals, not people. I don’t want them to be martyrs. I want them to be calm, grounded. To pay attention to me. To know their names. To enter my life quietly and to know how to be still. And for them to have the direction, exercise and attention that all dogs need. Although many people to not like to hear it, food is central to training, at least initially. Dogs pay attention to food, mostly (or if something else works, that’s good too) and is a good way to get them to focus on you and your voice, and your eyes. One calming exercise: get treats or meatballs or beef jerky, hold it up to  your eyes, say the dog’s name and then throw it. Teaches them to pay attention.

My wish for my dogs is that they have busy, happy and rounded and loving lives. With me or without me. I would be very sad to think of any of them pining to death because I was not around. Not a story that appeals to me. It is, to me, the epitomy of selfishness. But that’s just me.

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